The 20 Best-Ever Recipes for Zero Belly

Here’s a little secret that the restaurant industry doesn’t want you to know: The absolute best recipe for a flat belly is...any recipe. As long as you’re the one doing the cooking.

By
Eat This, Not That! Editors

December 8, 2015

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The 20 Best-Ever Recipes for Zero Belly

Here’s a little secret that the restaurant industry doesn’t want you to know: The absolute best recipe for a flat belly is...any recipe. As long as you’re the one doing the cooking.

ByEat This, Not That! EditorsDecember 8, 2015

In a study in the journal Public Health Nutrition, people who ate at a restaurant on any given day took in an additional 200 calories more than those who prepared all their own meals. Even if you eat just one meal a day from a restaurant, that’s enough to add 21 pounds of body weight every year. In fact, cooking at home regularly is so good for you that it helps you eat less even on nights when you do go out to a restaurant–probably because you become used to serving yourself sane portion sizes, instead of the mind-bending, monster-sized entrees most restaurants dish out.

These delicious recipes—each of them gluten-free, lactose-free, and packed with amazing flavor—combine the magic of cooking at home with the metabolism turbocharge of 9 insanely healthy superfoods, courtesy of the best-selling Zero Belly Cookbook—order now and get yours in time for Christmas. And to blast even more belly fat, don’t miss this essential list of 50 Ways to Lose 10 Pounds—Fast!

HOW TO MAKE IT

Step 1

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and chopped onion, and cook until the onions become slightly translucent and soft. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Transfer the cooked vegetables to a colander to remove any excess
moisture. Set aside to cool completely.

Step 2

Place the cubed bread in the bottom of a large pie dish, and top with the spinach and onion mixture.

Step 3

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites, almond milk, sofrito, salt, and ground black pepper. Pour over the bread and spinach mixture, cover with plastic wrap, and place the dish in the fridge overnight, or at least four hours.

Step 4

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Step 5

Remove the plastic wrap from the strata, and cook uncovered for 45 minutes or until the eggs are fully cooked.

Step 3

Step 4

Combine the wet and dry ingredients in a bowl, and mix until just combined. Fold in the chopped walnuts.

Step5

Spray a muffin tin with olive oil spray. Pour the batter into the prepared
muffin pan. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center of one of the muffins comes out clean, 15-20 minutes.

Step 6

Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the muffins to loosen them and unmold. Serve warm or at room temperature.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

HOW TO MAKE IT

Step 1

Pulse the pinto beans and lime juice in a food processor until it has the consistency of refried beans.

Step 2

Coat a small nonstick pan with olive oil spray and heat over medium heat.

Step 3

Whisk together the eggs and egg whites.

Step 4

Add one fourth of the egg mixture to the pan. Use a spatula to stir, drawing the cooked egg to the center of the pan to let the raw egg slide under.

Step 5

When the eggs have all but set, spoon a quarter of the pinto bean mixture down the middle of the omelet. Use the spatula to fold over a third of the egg to cover the mixture, then carefully slide the omelet onto a plate using the spatula to flip it over at the last second to form one fully rolled omelet.

HOW TO MAKE IT

Step 1

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 2

Spoon 2 tablespoons ZBD Marinara on top of each toasted English muffin half for four individual pizzas. Divide the metaballs among the four pizzas, along with the sliced onions and mushrooms. Sprinkle with oregano.

HOW TO MAKE IT

Step 1

To blanch the snow peas, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice and cold water. Place the trimmed beans in boiling water for about 30 seconds or until tender. Use a large slotted spoon to transfer the snow peas directly into the ice water too cool completely. Once cool, take the snow peas out of the water and place on a paper towel to dry.

Step 2

Combine the blanched snow peas and all remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well and divide between four plates.

HOW TO MAKE IT

Step 1

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for the crab cakes except for the crab and mix well with a rubber spatula. Once mixed, carefully fold in the crab until just incorporated.

Step 2

Use your hand to form twelve individual crab cakes (about ¾ inch thick and 1 inch wide). Flatten the crab cakes between the palms of your hands and set aside.

For the fries:

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Step 4

Cut each potato in half lengthwise, and then into wedges. In a large bowl, combine the cut potatoes, extra virgin olive oil, and spices. Toss to evenly coat the potatoes.

Step 5

Spread potatoes in a single layer on a non stick sheet pan. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven until edges are crisp and potatoes are cooked through, about 35 minutes.

Step 6

While the potatoes are cooking, heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a non stick pan over medium high heat.

Step 7

Using a wide spatula, carefully place each crab cake in the pan. Sear for about 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Flip each cake over, and cook for another 3 minutes or until browned. Transfer each cooked crab cake onto a sheet pan. When the fries have about 7 minutes left of cooking time, place in the oven with the fries to heat through.

Step 8

To prepare the aioli, mix together all ingredients in a small bowl.

Step 9

To assemble the po-boys:

Step 10

Place each crab cake on a bibb lettuce or romaine leaf, and top with dollop of aioli, a slice of tomato, and a slice of avocado.

Step 11

Divide the hot fries among four plates and serve with three ‘po boys.’

HOW TO MAKE IT

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Season the chicken breast with a pinch of salt and pepper, and sear in the pan until lightly golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Don’t worry about cooking the chicken breast all the way through. Place the seared chicken in a glass casserole dish.

Step 4

Pour the Zero Belly Marinara over the chicken breast and cover the dish with foil. Place in the oven and cook
for 15 minutes.

Step 5

While the chicken cooks, prepare the swiss chard. Take the green leaves of the stems and roughly chop.
Thinly slice the stems and set aside.

Step 6

Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the swiss chard stems and sautee until tender, about two minutes. Add the chopped swiss chard leaves and add ¼ cup of water. Steam until tender, about 2 minutes. Finish with a squeeze of half a lemon.

Step 7

Divide the cooked swiss chard among four plates. Top with one chicken breast and marinara. Serve with ½ cup brown rice. Garnish with basil.

HOW TO MAKE IT

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Step 2

Lay the eggplant in a single layer on a baking sheet and salt generously. Allow eggplant to sit for 30 minutes to an hour. Rinse with water and dry well. Spray baking sheet with olive oil spray; spread eggplant out in a single layer and spray with more olive oil. Place in oven for 5 minutes.

Step 3

While the eggplant cooks, spray another baking sheet with olive oil. Spread a single layer of zucchini and summer squash slices. After eggplant has cooked for five minutes, add baking sheet with zucchini and yellow squash to oven. Bake for another five minutes. Remove both trays from the oven.

Step 4

While vegetables are cooking, in a large bowl mix the ricotta, egg white, and Zero Belly Pesto together using a plastic spatula.

Step 5

Lightly coat an 11 x 7 glass baking dish (at least 3 inches deep) with olive oil spray. Lay slices of summer squash side by side to create a single layer on the bottom of the dish. Follow with a single layer of zucchini, then a layer of eggplant. Spread ⅓ of the pesto-ricotta mixture on top of the eggplant, followed by ⅓ of the roasted peppers. Top with½ a cup of Zero Belly Marinara. Repeat this 2 times. Finish with a layer of Zero Belly Marinara.

Step 6

Cover with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes. Once cooked, let rest on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

HOW TO MAKE IT

Step 1

Step 2

Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Pour the chocolate chips onto the parchment paper and spread to form a rectangle, about 8 by 8 inches.

Step 3

Bake the chocolate chips in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes, just until they start to melt.

Step 4

Transfer the pan to a cooling rack, and use an offset spatula to spread the melted chocolate into smooth, even rectangle. While the chocolate is still hot, evenly sprinkle with the dried cherries, toasted pepitas, and toasted almonds. Transfer the parchment paper to a plate and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Break the bark into small pieces and serve.